Karanka and the long ball

[ClaretTony]

He'll be delighted to have learned that Burnley had the third highest number of long balls in their game this weekend so he can have another go at us.

The top two were Manchester United and MIDDLESBROUGH.

[Juan Tanamera]

Seems to be the favoured moan of managers who have left Turf Moor this season with their tails between their legs.
Puel is the latest to have a whinge..

[claretdom]

It will be claimed next that they play cultured long passes while we just hoof it.

[Stan Tastic]

Incredible to think that with all this attractive football they allegedly play, they've scored less goals than any team in the Premier League.

[KRBFC]

Long balls played this season table......

1. Burnley 1,695
2. Boro 1,621

They signed Gestede for a reason.

Stats from Premier League site. https://www.premierleague.com/stats/top ... long_balls

[martin_p]

Seems to be the favoured moan of managers who have left Turf Moor this season with their tails between their legs.
Puel is the latest to have a whinge..

You can write the after match comments of losing managers at the Turf before the game.

- we played well
- didn't tale our chances
- difficult to play against the long ball
- Burnley very physical
- I felt we controlled most of the game
- it's a difficult result to take

Almost without exception that's what we hear, makes it sound like we've been lucky every time we've won.

[ClaretTony]

Not just this season either, it was the same last season. Maybe one of these days some of these managers will work it out why they don't beat us.

[Rick_Muller]

Not just this season either, it was the same last season. Maybe one of these days some of these managers will work it out why they don't beat us.

Is it because we score more goals than them?

[Bordeauxclaret]

Trying to kick opponents out of games and long balls? Surely not.

[Spijed]

One stat I found interesting was the number of saves. Second only to Tom Heaton was Ben Foster. I'd have thought Pullis would have had his defence far better organised.

[MACCA]

One stat I found interesting was the number of saves. Second only to Tom Heaton was Ben Foster. I'd have thought Pullis would have had his defence far better organised.

There are making saves and making saves.

I'm sure like Dyche, Pulis is more than happy for teams to be shooting from outside the box, which with Toms safe hands makes it look easy and comfortable.

Other than the late double save on Saturday, I can remember Tom being too busy and "keeping" us in matches, especially at home.

[ClaretLoup]

Adding to the Martin-p list

- we "deserved" something out of the game/ to win.

The best exponent of this concept being Koemann who said the the result was "unfair" as we had scored more goals than Everton.

Perhaps the FA need to introduce some form of handicap system where the team that has played the least number of long balls gets an extra goal to make football fairer for likes of Ronnie.

[Tribesmen]

What is it with the long ball problems , every time I read anything about is seems as it should have been outlawed in football years ago . Crying and moaning as Burnley used that long ball tactics etc etc .

[Guich]

I think the way it works is that if you are a top seven side the long passes are brilliant, cultured, incisive etc. made famous by the likes of Becks and Stevie G

For the others it's simply long ball. Take Matt Lowton's quick thinking rapid-fire pass up to Jeff Hendrick against Bournemouth, and Jeff's brilliant control and strike. That was a hit and hope followed by a hit and hope.

The deluded Karanka thinks he could manage a top seven side, whereas Sean Dyche will.

[Caernarfon_Claret]

The Liverpool team of the 1980s hit long balls. They also passed and moved in triangles defended really well and had brilliant goal keepers and had amazingly creative footballers. Long balls by themselves don't do anything used properly in a frame work they can be great at getting a winning goal.

[KefkaClaret]

if God intended football to be played on the ground he wouldn't have invented Peter Crouch.

[steve1264b]

One word describes every manager leaving the turf.

Baffled!

[Jambo]

But goals from long balls don't count?

It's no secret that we like to play direct - and it is hard to play against. But teams have plenty of notice to prepare a tactical plan to cope with it. I like Ash, but the fact he's bullying PL defenders despite, let's be honest, a bit of a lack of technical ability, is a big red flag to me about the lack of strength in modern defenders and managers' inability to prepare their team to face a side that is different from the norm.

It's not much of a surprise that the bloke who found it easiest to work us out was Tony Pulis, whose team plays much the same way as ours.

[ClaretKent]

Indeed. I thought Pulls was very clever tactically. Thought of a different way to combat us and succeeded. Tbh most top sides look at the lesser clubs as cannon fodder, expect 3 points h and a and get the right hump when they don't get them. I for one am enjoying laughing at the post match interviews. Guardiolis was pythonesque and he'd taken the points. Funny how great goals like Hendrick's and Barnes's get brushed under the carpet. Teams have been far more physical than us in reaction to their surprise at our fitness, quality and high pressing game. Long may the creeping barrage continue. They don't like it up em.
UTC

[Vegas Claret]

[Spijed]

Did WBA really work us out, or was it just the case that we were utter rubbish that night. One up front away from home is useless and we've been much better with 4-4-2.

[ClaretKent]

I thought so but it's just my opinion. I thought they deliberately allowed us more possession and it confused the game plan.

[Jambo]

We didn't help ourselves with our defending, but once they were in front they absolutely had a plan for that, which was to let us have as much of the ball as we wanted.